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Online Daters Say a Good Credit Score is More Attractive Than a Fancy Car

RIVERWOODS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Online daters might have better luck finding Mr. or Ms. Right if they
swap out the profile picture of their expensive car with an image of
their credit score, according to a recent survey by Discover and Match
Media Group. The two companies collaborated on the independent survey of
online daters to better understand the relationship between finance and
romance.

The survey found that a potential date’s credit score could—or perhaps
should—be the difference between swiping left or right. For example, 58
percent of online daters say having a good credit score is more
attractive than driving a nice car. Likewise, 50 percent think a good
credit score is more attractive than an impressive job title, and 40
percent favor a good score over a physically fit body.

“If you have a good credit score, flaunt it,” says Dr. Helen Fisher,
Ph.D., chief scientific advisor for Match.com. “When it comes to dating,
a good credit score ups your mate value, helping you win a responsible,
long-term partner, more so than some other qualities that online daters
might highlight on their profile. Money talks, but your credit score can
speak more about who you are as a person, and singles agree that those
with good credit tend to be conscientious and reliable.”

A credit score is a measure of financial responsibility, which 69
percent of survey respondents say is a very or extremely important
quality when looking for a person to date. Financial responsibility
rated higher than several other important qualities, as 67 percent say a
sense of humor is very or extremely important, 51 percent say
attractiveness, 50 percent say ambition, 42 percent say courage and 39
percent say modesty.

Both women and men value financial responsibility, as 77 percent of
women and 61 percent of men say financial responsibility is a very or
extremely important quality in a potential partner.

What does good credit suggest about a potential date? When asked to
identify characteristics of someone with a good credit score, 73 percent
of survey respondents said responsible, 40 percent said trustworthy and
38 percent said smart.

“A credit score is an important measure of financial responsibility as
it rewards diligence and consistency over time when it comes to managing
your finances, not necessarily how much money you make or what you have
in the bank,” says Kate Manfred, Discover’s vice president of brand and
consumer insights. “Regardless of your credit score, one of the keys to
improving your credit health is simply being aware of your score. That
knowledge can set you on the path toward improving or maintaining your
score. Plus, it can spark an interesting—and important—conversation on a
date.”

Anyone interested in checking their FICO® Credit Score1,
including those who are not Discover customers, can do so for free by
going to Discover.com/CreditScorecard.
In addition to a FICO® Score, Discover’s Credit Scorecard
provides information and insight into the five categories that
contribute to one’s FICO® Score.

Online Daters Are Hesitant to Talk Finances

While online daters think a potential partner’s finances are important,
the survey found that the soonest most would feel comfortable disclosing
financial details—such as their amount of debt, credit score, income and
spending habits—would be within the first six months of a relationship.
Just 7 percent or fewer would disclose such info before meeting someone
in person.

The majority of survey respondents say they are only slightly
comfortable or not comfortable at all with the idea of sharing financial
information on a dating app or website. This includes 69 percent who
feel slightly comfortable or not comfortable at all sharing information
about their amount of debt, 69 percent their credit score, 64 percent
their income and 53 percent their spending habits.

The one thing respondents do feel comfortable sharing on a dating
website or app is their employment status, as 64 percent feel very or
extremely comfortable sharing that information.

Finances Are More Straining than Kids and Politics

Despite their hesitancy, online daters would do well to have the money
talk with their partner sooner rather than later. The survey found that
finances are a more common relationship strain than goals for the
future, career decisions, politics, kids and religion. In fact, the
majority of those surveyed, 53 percent, say finances were a source of
strain in a past or current relationship, and 18 percent say finances
led to a break-up.

Survey Insights Featured in Tinder Ad Campaign

As an extension of the survey, Discover has partnered with Tinder, the
world’s most popular app for meeting new people and part of the Match
Media Group, to launch an ad campaign using Tinder’s native advertising
products. Discover-branded profile cards offering relevant finance and
dating insights from the survey will be integrated directly within the
Tinder user experience.

“We know so much about our audience and what they care about when it
comes to dating,” says Peter Foster, Match Media Group’s general manager
of advertising and brand solutions. “When Discover approached us about
partnering on this survey we were excited to dig deeper into the
relationship between finance and romance to give Tinder users real world
insights to help them succeed in their dating lives on Tinder and
beyond.”

About the Survey

The national survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers, ages 18+, was commissioned
by Discover and Match Media Group by C+R Research, an independent survey
research firm, between January 30 and February 8, 2017. All survey
respondents had either an active account with an online dating platform
or met their partner through an online dating platform. The maximum
margin of sampling error was ±3 percentage points with a 95 percent
level of confidence.

About Discover

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment
services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S.
financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become
one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues
the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers private
student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings
accounts and certificates of deposit through its direct banking
business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant
and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit
networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with
acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more
information, visit www.discover.com/company.

About Match Media Group

Match Media Group is the world’s leader in online dating services, with
a portfolio of more than 45 brands including Match.com, OkCupid, Tinder,
Meetic, and PlentyOfFish. Equipped with data and insights from a network
of over 63 million global active users spending 3.3 billion minutes
connecting every month, Match Media Group serves as a single point
partner for brands to make meaningful connections with a wide and
influential audience, leading to increased engagement, sales, and brand
awareness. Match Media Group continues to revolutionize the dating
landscape with new advertising and data products as well as audience
intelligence and activation capabilities launching across its portfolio.

1FICO® Credit Scores provided by Credit Scorecard
are based on data from Experian and may be different from other credit
scores. See Discover.com/CreditScorecard to learn more. FICO is a
registered trademark of the Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States
and other countries.